New Delhi: The University of California - Irvine (UCI) has launched courses in engineering and biology in a bid to attract Indian students, a statement said on Thursday.

The courses come under the International Undergraduate Preparation Program (IUPP) and are four-year programmes aiming to provide students a first-hand experience of higher education in the US.

'We are excited to launch two new tracks perfect for Indian students — an engineering and a biological sciences track,' said Angelika P. Volkman, director of international Programmes at the UC-I.

According to Volkman, students who participate in the IUPP are supported by an effective infrastructure that guides students prior to their arrival in Irvine and all the way after their official matriculation as undergraduates at UC-I.

Founded in 1965, UC-I boasts of nearly 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,000 staff members. IANS